Find enough to fill several days on a visit to Sullivan’s Island. The space exudes an addictive small-town charm and offers unspoiled Atlantic Ocean beaches, award-winning dining and insight into local life in the 17th century.
The island was first settled by Captain Florence O’Sullivan. The area played a significant military role in the Revolutionary War, the Battle of Sullivan’s Island and the American Civil War. Learn more while exploring Fort Moultrie, a defensive structure that was important to Charleston and U.S. history. As you stroll through the park, you’ll go backward in time from the World War II Harbor Entrance Control Post to the original site of the palmetto-log fort. At the African Passages exhibit, learn about Sullivan’s Island’s role in the international slave trade.
From Sullivan’s Island, take a boat ride to Fort Sumter. A national park ranger will oversee your visit and explain the fort’s origins, giving insights into the opening battle of the American Civil War.
Take photos of the slim, triangular Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse, one of the most recent lighthouses built in the United States. It’s still operational, lighting up the city’s seaport. Rent a stand-up paddleboard or a kayak and paddle along the Intracoastal Waterway. Try surfing or kiteboarding at the beach. Ride a bike around the 3.3-square-mile (8.5-square-kilometer) island.
Browse two blocks of shops and galleries along Middle Street in the town center. Satisfy a hearty appetite at Poe’s Tavern, which was named for the author Edgar Allan Poe, who was stationed at Fort Moultrie in the 19th century. Consider the foodie favorite, The Obstinate Daughter, where you can try local griddled octopus.
Walk along the Sullivan’s Island Nature Trail off the Station 16 beach path. The 650-foot (200-kilometer) boardwalk showcases the island’s plants and animals and rich bird life. Spot dolphins and porpoises from Thompson Park at Breach Inlet, site of a historic Revolutionary War battle.
Sullivan’s Island is bordered by the entrance to Charleston Harbor to the west, the Intracoastal Waterway to the north and Breach Inlet to the east. Travel to the island by car and park along the street.
